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Palgrave Girl Guide Member wins 100th anniversary Friendship Crest competition

March 5, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Riley Murphy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This year marks 100 years of World Thinking Day, an annual celebration on the shared birthday of the founders of the Girl Guides and Scouts, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, on February 22.

For the 100th anniversary, this year’s World Thinking Day theme was friendship, to encourage curiosity, creativity, and meaningful connections within the global Guiding and Scouting community.

Part of the 100th anniversary was a Friendship Crest Competition, in which all girls and adult members of Ontario Council, Community 15, in the Peel area, with over 700 members, were allowed to submit a design for the 100th World Thinking Day celebration.

The event had over 300 attendees.

At the event, the winners were announced for the competition, and Palgrave Girl Guides’ cheers erupted as 3rd year Guide of the 1st Palgrave Guides, Ella Roy, was crowned the winner.

She was chosen above dozens of entries by adult members and the World Thinking Day event committee.

It was shared that her submission was chosen for its reflection of sisterhood and friendship within guiding.

“We were told to design a crest of what we think friendship means to us,” Ella, 11, told The Citizen. “I chose three girls holding hands because I think friendship means everybody gets along well, and the three girls holding hands for me meant like they all had good relationships with each other, they’re all nice to each other.”

Also depicted in her design are symbols on the girls’ backs, one for Girl Guides, one for Girl Guides Ontario, and one maple leaf representing Canada.

“I was nervous because I didn’t know who was going to win, but then they announced that I won, I was really, really excited,” Ella says. “My whole girl guide group was all screaming.”

Ella’s mother, Dawn Roy, says they were so happy to hear she had won.

“We’re really proud of her,” she says.

Dawn explains that Ella often draws and colours in her free time and really enjoys it.

All Guide members in Community 15 will receive Ella’s version of the crest, and she will receive her own crest mounted on a plaque always to remember the special moment.

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